


You, Me, and Bubble Tea

by cheese_tea



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Atsumu and Hinata are just students - they are not employed by the cafe, Boba, First Kiss, Fluff, Getting Together, M/M, Slice of Life, Slow Burn, bubble tea
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-03
Updated: 2020-09-12
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:49:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26259682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cheese_tea/pseuds/cheese_tea
Summary: Miya Atsumu and Hinata Shouyou meet by chance in the campus bubble tea shop, and a friendship blossoms between the unlikely duo. Will it become more? Only time (and a lot of tea) will tell.
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Miya Atsumu
Comments: 61
Kudos: 279





	1. Chapter 1

Atsumu sighed as he reached the door of the familiar cafe. Another year, another couple hundred hours hanging out with his books and laptop inside Sakanoshi-Tea, the bubble tea shop closest to campus. It was arguably the most popular place to do work or study for the university's stressed out undergraduates, though Atsumu came here for the snacks, not the tea. He pushed the door open, grimacing at the familiar tinkle of the bell above the door, and walked to the counter, quickly glancing around to see if much has changed since the school holidays. Not much has -- the quaint little shop was still packed to the brim with tables and chairs, trying to accommodate as much study space as possible for the late afternoon rush. Atsumu wonders how the fire department hasn't cracked down on the clear fire hazard of strewn furniture. 

"W-welcome to Sakanoshi-Tea! What would you like today?"

Atsumu glanced up at the blond girl at the cash register, the only unfamiliar sight in the shop. 

"Ah, are you new here?" Atsumu asked, and then, not bothering to wait for an answer, "just one popcorn chicken."

The girl bit her lip and started tapping on the screen in front of her, looking slightly panicked. "I- I- I'm a new student. It's my first day on the job here too, so…" she trailed off, tapping two more buttons before relaxing, clearly having found the correct place on the screen to enter the order.

Atsumu handed her the payment for the order without inquiring further, opting to check his phone instead. He didn't have time to chat, he just wanted to get to work. It was only the second day of classes, and he already had several problem sets and a large project due next week. 

"One popcorn chicken!" the cashier girl called a moment later, sliding a bag of piping hot fried chicken across the counter to him. Atsumu swiped the bag and walked quickly towards the large window seating at the side of the shop. The store was only occupied by a few students at present; most were likely still in their afternoon classes. He plopped down at the left end of the long, shared bartop, his usual seat from last year, and unceremoniously tossed his bag on the next stool, rifling through it for his laptop. He popped in his ear buds and skewered a piece of chicken, savoring its familiar salt and crunch. Craving satisfied, he opened his laptop, cracked his knuckles, and got to work, burying himself in pages of algorithms homework and code.

Atsumu was deep into his reading on asymptotic analysis when he felt a tap on his shoulder. Ripped from his concentration, he yanked out an earbud and glared at the source of the interruption. "What?"

A short boy with bright orange hair was looking at him expectantly, holding a large book bag and a cup of bubble tea. "Hey um, would you mind moving your bag? There aren't any other seats."

Atsumu scanned the store, now completely packed with chattering students. He hadn't noticed the shop filling up. Feeling a slight (but only slight) amount of shame at his taking up an extra seat, he quickly grabbed his bag, shoving it in front of his feet on the floor. "Sorry," Atsumu muttered, as the boy bounced into the seat.

"Thanks!" said the orange-haired boy brightly, fixing him with a large grin. The boy took a sip of his tea and turned away, opening his bag to take out whatever materials he needed to study. Atsumu faced back to his laptop and put in his earbud again. He looked at the time on the screen -- it was just past 3pm now, and he'd been at this problem set for two hours. His last class of the day was in another hour, so maybe he could finish this chapter on "Big-O notation" before then. He scrunched his nose in distaste and ruffled his fingers through his hair. Where was he again?

When Atsumu next glanced at the time, he was surprised to find it was already almost 4pm. "Shit!" He jumped up, slamming his laptop shut. The lecture hall was almost a ten minute walk away; he'd have to run for it. Hurriedly, he pulled his bag up and made to shove his laptop inside. Too late, he felt his elbow bump into something cold and plastic. In horror, he watched the orange-haired boy's tea tip off the bartop. 

Suddenly, a sneaker heel kicked up and, miraculously, tapped the bottom of the tea cup and sent the cup flying up, and then the orange-haired boy snatched the cup right out of the air, not a single drop spilled. Slack-jawed, Atsumu looked at the boy who had sat next to him for the past hour and who was apparently some kind of superhuman. "How, wha…"

The boy was gaping at the cup in his hand, as if he couldn't believe it either. He noticed Atsumu's staring, and his face split into another wide grin.

"Holy cow, I can't believe I did that! Did you see that?!" 

Atsumu found himself smiling at this excitable person. "That was impressive, er… what's your name?"

"Hinata Shouyou, nice to meet you..." he trailed off expectantly.

"I'm Miya Atsumu." 

"Well, thanks Miya-san. Is everything alright? You seemed to be in a hurry."

Atsumu checked the time on the wall clock, having completely forgotten about why he stood up in the first place. "Shit, I'm going to be late for class! See ya, Shouyou-kun."

Without waiting for a reply, he grabbed his bag and bolted for the door, dodging several surprised students waiting in line to order. 

What a strange guy, Atsumu thought a few minutes later as he slipped quietly into a seat at the back of the lecture hall. He was still panting from his sprint across campus, and his mind was still on this mysterious, orange-haired boy with the blinding smile. He shook his head; he needed to focus. With difficulty, he turned his attention back to his Introduction to Computer Graphics class, and put Hinata Shouyou out of his mind for the time being.

* * *

Hinata entered the door of Sakanoshi-Tea for the second time that week, eager to enjoy a nice bubble tea after another grueling day of endless lectures.

He waited in the line to order, looking around the shop and praying there would be enough seats left by the time he got his tea. His eyes landed on a familiar, blond boy by the large side window and then on a familiar bag on the seat next to said boy. Looked like there may be hope.

"Good afternoon, Yachi-san!" He greeted the cashier brightly when it was his turn.

"Hinata! Welcome back!" She cheerily replied, "what can I get you today?"

Hinata paused for a split moment to consider whether he was in more of a "tea" mood or a "fruity" mood and decided in favor of the latter today. "One pineapple green tea with pearls, please! Half sugar and half ice."

"You got it!" Yachi tapped her screen to enter the order with far less anxiety than her first day. Hinata grinned at her improved confidence.

"You're getting the hang of this, Yachi!" He cheered. Yachi smiled back at him fondly and nodded happily.

After paying and receiving his drink, Hinata made his way over to where Atsumu was seated, thankfully still with his bag occupying the seat next to him.

"Miya-san!" He waved his hand next to Atsumu to catch his attention before pointing down at Atsumu's bag. "May I sit here again?"

This time Atsumu didn't glare at him, which Hinata supposes is an improvement from two days ago. 

"Ah, the ninja is back." Atsumu shoved his bag in front of his feet again.

"I have class until 3pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays! So I come here right after to get some work done. Plus, the tea here is great!" Hinata shook the plastic cup, placed it on the bartop and stabbed his straw through the sealed top. He took a sip and chewed on a few pearls as he hopped on the vacated seat. "What about you, Miya-san? When do you get here? There never seems to be seats by the time my classes are done."

"I have a break between classes from 1 to 4pm, so I stop here in between."

"So studious," Hinata teased.

Atsumu huffed and crossed his arms. "I've got no choice. Second year computer engineering workloads are insane."

"Whoa, you're an engineering major? You must be so smart, Miya-san!" Hinata gazes in wide-eyed admiration at Atsumu. Hinata's worst subjects in school were math and physics, so he was fascinated by people who didn't want to run and hide at the thought of them.

"What about you? Are you a first year? Atsumu asked, looking pleased with the compliment and slightly flustered, rubbing at the back of his neck with a hand.

"Yeah! I, well…" Hinata hesitated, "I'm an art major." Hinata raised his eyes to meet Atsumu's, daring him to ask the inevitable, pitying and condescending questions he often got from engineering majors about how he planned to make a living with that degree.

To his surprise though, Atsumu didn't. "Art, eh?" Atsumu looked out the large window, thoughts elsewhere for a quick moment. "How'd your parents take it?"

Hinata blinked in mild surprise, not expecting to be asked such a personal question. "Not well. They wanted me to pick something more practical." Hinata looked down at his hands, remembering his parents' disappointed faces. He took another sip of his drink, chewing on the pearls to ward the unpleasant memories away. "But it's not like I could pick anything else! Art is so amazing, and when I draw it feels like… like I can be myself! Like I can do anything!" He waved his arms in the air eagerly to accent his point.

Atsumu turned back to him, a small, crooked smile on his face. "Osamu said something similar when he decided to go to culinary school. Our parents also didn't take it well." He sighed now, "I guess I didn't either, for a while."

"Osamu is your brother?" 

"Twin, in fact."

"Oh." Hinata tried to imagine a second Miya-san in front of him.

Atsumu looked pensive again and continued, "when we were kids, we got into all sorts of trouble, taking things apart and putting them back together again. When we started school, we did everything together… science fairs, math competitions. Then, one day in high school, Osamu decided he didn't want to do science or math anymore. He didn't want to work an office job. He wanted more creativity in his life."

Atsumu frowned at the memories and then forced his face into a more neutral expression. "Look at me, reminiscing over things like an old geezer," he chuckled to himself. "Anyway, I got over it, our parents didn't. I'm sure 'Samu's happy and having a grand old time getting yelled at by some old chef and peeling potatoes all day."

Hinata caught the hint of bitterness in Atsumu's voice. "I bet you miss him," he said softly. 

Surprise briefly flashed across Atsumu's face, before he waved a hand dismissively. "Eh, like I could miss him, all I have to do is look in the mirror," he winked at Hinata, "though I do have way better hair."

Hinata could tell the moment of vulnerability was over, so he shifted to asking Atsumu about his classes and his favorite spots on campus. The conversation flowed easily, and soon, Atsumu was packing up to head to his class. The hour had slipped by.

"See ya, Shouyou-kun. Show me your art next time, eh?" Atsumu left with a wave.

Hinata sucked the last few pearls from his almost-empty cup, making loud slurping sounds as the last of the tea disappeared up the straw. Atsumu was different from the grumpy engineer Hinata thought he'd be, and it was nice that he didn't seem to think non-engineers beneath him in some way. Best of all, it seemed like Hinata had found a new friend who could show him the campus secrets.

Humming quietly to himself, Hinata reached down into his bag, finally taking out his large pencil bag and sketchbook. Turning to a blank page, he found his favorite pencil and started sketching the view from the window. School was definitely going to be fun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you very much for reading! This is my first foray into fanfiction writing since 2007, back when I was a kid and wrote Harry Potter fics. When I finished Haikyuu, I couldn't stop myself from diving head-first into the HQ fandom. I loved every character in the series, but I completely fell head-over-heels for Hinata and Atsumu's dynamic, and so naturally the next step was to write a very self-indulgent AU starring these two and bubble tea, of course, because who doesn't love bubble tea? I hope you enjoy this fic as much as I enjoyed writing it!
> 
> \- Kyria, aka cheese_tea


	2. Chapter 2

Atsumu arrived at Sakanoshi-Tea at his usual time the next Tuesday, going through the motions of ordering his beloved popcorn chicken and sitting down in his favorite spot. He paused, glanced around the almost-empty cafe, and dropped his bag on the seat next to him. Not giving himself enough time to question why he felt compelled to save the seat, he opened his laptop to the project he was working on for his Computer Graphics class and started typing. 

A while later, Atsumu was glaring at his screen, filled with lines of code. Where was this going wrong? He'd gotten stuck; the program was far from doing what it was supposed to, and it was driving him crazy trying to figure out why. He scanned the code fruitlessly before sighing and dropping his head into his hands. Why did he want to do computer engineering again? It was the same pain with each program. Was the rest of his life going to be like this?

He checked the time and groaned. He really could use a break from this frustrating project. Only about 10 minutes until Shouyou-kun got here —

Ok, now was really not the time to be distracted by thoughts of the strange, but oddly-endearing boy. Atsumu rubbed his bleary eyes, fully intending to get back to work, but right then the cafe door opened and in ran that very same Hinata Shouyou with the energy and excitement of a kid entering a candy store. Atsumu quickly ducked his head and looked back at his screen, pretending not to notice him come in.

His ears picked up a happy giggle from the girl at the register, where Hinata was now placing his tea order. Atsumu groaned and placed his hands over his ears, trying his hardest to focus his attention on the screen and completely failing, just like his program. God damn it!

His fraying thoughts were interrupted by a cup of tea waving up and down in front of his laptop. He looked to his right at Hinata, who was wearing his usual bright grin, one arm extended in offering to Atsumu, and the other holding a second, identical cup of tea.

"For you!" He exclaimed, gesturing with his elbow at Atsumu's bag, "since you keep saving me a seat."

Atsumu absently grasped the offered cup and set his bag down in front of his feet again. "You're early," he remarked.

"Ah, yeah class let out a bit early today. Apparently the professor needed to be somewhere. So funny that they can just..." Hinata gestured flippantly with his now-free hand. "Leave? Do whatever they want?"

When Atsumu didn't react, Hinata sat down. "Are you alright, Miya-san? You look upset."

Atsumu blinked, all pretense of composure shattering at the observation. "Oh yeah, just _fine_. I have absolutely not spent the last _two hours_ trying to get this damn program to work," he growled, clunking down his tea on the table next to his laptop.

Hinata scooched closer and looked at the laptop screen, then back at Atsumu. "You wanna talk about it?"

Atsumu squinted at him, not sure if he was serious.

"Don't look at me like that," Hinata huffed. "I don't know how to code, but surely it wouldn't hurt to talk about it anyway."

Atsumu sighed and ran his hand through his hair. He shoved his laptop a bit further away on the table, as if the action would create space for his thoughts to flow properly. Guess there wasn't any harm, even if Hinata couldn't actually explain what he was doing wrong. At the very least, venting to him would keep Atsumu from flinging his computer out the window. 

He turned to Hinata, who was sipping his tea and looking at him expectantly. Atsumu thought carefully about how best to explain the situation.

"Alright, so, the assignment is to write a program that places objects in an empty room and then lets you move around and take pictures of sorts, kind of like a camera," Hinata nodded to indicate that he was following.

"I've added a couple of colored boxes and things to my room, but…" Atsumu clicked a button to run his program, and a large, solid black square popped up on the screen. "The photos are turning up all black. Nothing is showing up."

Hinata noisily took another sip of his tea. "So your camera only takes black photos?"

Atsumu dragged his hand down the side of his face in frustration. "Yeah, some camera, eh?"

Hinata paused and his mouth tugged to the side in thought. Then Hinata reached into his bag, pulled out his phone, and thumbed through his photos. "So I don't know anything about how your program works, so this may be totally off, but…" He held up his phone, which was showing a black screen. "My phone camera takes a black photo if I forget to turn on flash at night. Maybe you need to turn on flash?" He gave Atsumu a sheepish grin.

Atsumu chewed on the inside of his cheek, mulling over Hinata's comment. Hinata waved his hands around in the air, looking embarrassed. "Never mind, forget I said anything, that was probably super stupid."

"Wait," Atsumu clapped both his hands to the top of his head. "Shouyou-kun…" Atsumu looked at him, eyes widening, "I think you're a genius."

"Huh, so you really just need to turn on flash?" Hinata quirked his head to the side.

"Well, no, my 'camera' isn't actually a camera, so it doesn't have flash, but…" Atsumu pulled his laptop back towards himself, typed out a line of code, and practically slammed the button to run his program. This time, an image of two boxes, one blue and one green, popped up on a large white background. "I did need to put a light source into my room." He grinned at Hinata. 

Hinata's mouth opened in surprise, and then his face split into his trademark smile. "So, it works now?"

Atsumu felt like crying from happiness, he was so relieved that it worked. "Looks like it!"

Hinata held up his tea. "Then, cheers!"

Atsumu found his untouched tea and tapped it against Hinata's. "Shouyou-kun, I'm going to need you around for all my assignments from now on." Then he eyed his cup, noticing its contents for the first time. "The hell is this?"

"Oh, that's Yachi-san's recommendation today! Oolong milk tea with pearls." Hinata took a large sip from his cup, already almost empty.

Atsumu wrinkled his nose. "What are pearls?"

"They're sweet balls that you chew on while you drink your tea." Hinata set down his drink and stared at him. "You mean you've never had bubble tea? What do you even get here?" 

Atsumu rolled his eyes and thought about making a lewd joke at Hinata's expense, but he restrained himself in front of the innocent first year. Instead, he reached for his bag of popcorn chicken and made a show of skewering a piece and placing it delicately into his mouth. "Popcorn chicken, obviously," he said with his mouth full.

Hinata's face contorted into a mixture of confusion and... disgust maybe? Atsumu didn't really care. He waved around his skewer, still savoring the chicken in his mouth. "Why would I want to chew on a drink, when I could chew on chicken instead?"

"Only because it's the best thing ever!" Hinata was basically sparkling now, his amber eyes lighting up. Hinata clasped his hands together. "Please, please try it, Miya-san?" He threw in some puppy-dog eyes for good measure.

Atsumu groaned. He absolutely could not refuse a face as cute as that, and Hinata sure as hell knew it. Still, he tried to at least project some semblance of reluctance as he reached for straw and stabbed it through the plastic lid with a loud "pop." He glanced at Hinata, who was about to wiggle out of his seat in anticipation.

He sipped up some tea and looked back at Hinata, who giggled. Adorable. "You have to put the straw all the way to the bottom if you want the pearls," Hinata explained.

"What are ya, some kinda bubble tea expert?" Atsumu let his native accent slip through a bit more as he pushed his straw all the way down, feeling slightly embarrassed at his inability to grasp this silly drink.

The next slurp brought several of the pearls into his mouth, each coated with a hint of honey. Atsumu rolled some of the pearls around with his tongue and then chewed them, surprised by their soft texture, and enjoyed the balance they brought to the slightly bitter, earthy tea.

Hinata was babbling now. "This shop makes their pearls so well, it's some of the best I've ever had! The pearls are juuust right, not too hard, and not too soggy. There's just the right amount of chewiness, and you can taste the honey—"

"It's good, Shouyou-kun," Atsumu interrupted him. It was endearing how excited Hinata was to see him try bubble tea for the first time.

"You like it, Miya-san?"

He gave Hinata an amused grin. "You can call me Atsumu, you know." He took another sip. "And yeah, I do."

Hinata looked like Atsumu just handed him the world's most adorable kitten. Or maybe just another cup of bubble tea. "I'm so glad, Atsumu-san! You really can't go wrong with Yachi-san's recommendations! She knows her stuff."

"Yachi-san, eh? Is that the cashier girl?"

Hinata nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, she's a first year too! She's really nice, and she even asked if I wanted to try a few of the upcoming drinks and give some feedback."

Atsumu cocked an eyebrow at Hinata and gave him a teasing smile, remembering Yachi's giggles earlier. "She sure sounds sweet on ya. You gonna ask her out?"

Hinata turned a bright scarlet and waved his hands frantically in front of his face, "Oh, no, no. She's a friend, is all," Hinata looked away from him before mumbling, "like you, Atsumu-san."

Atsumu took a very large sip of tea to try and hide what was certainly an odd expression forming on his face. After a long moment of processing, he decided that it was cute that Hinata already considered him a friend and left it at that.

Hinata seemed to have recovered from his embarrassment now too, because he asked, "Are you dating anyone, Atsumu-san? Or…" he held his hand up to his mouth conspiratorially, "is there someone you like?"

Atsumu swallowed a pearl whole and almost choked. He coughed and thumped his chest with his fist. "Yer gonna kill me, Shouyou-kun," he squeaked out.

Hinata looked concerned, so Atsumu waved his hand dismissively, coughing lightly once more. "I'm fine, I'm fine. And no, I'm not dating anyone. People think I'm an ass, and besides, I ain't got time for that sorta stuff."

"I don't think you're an ass, Atsumu-san," Hinata replied, eyes earnest. 

"You haven't been around me long enough then, Shouyou-kun," Atsumu quipped. He took another sip of tea, chewing and swallowing carefully this time, before changing the subject. "So, what're you working on today?"

Hinata reached into his bag and took out his sketchbook. He flipped to a half-finished sketch of the window in front of them and held it up for Atsumu to see. "It's a painting I'm planning. The assignment was to paint a view from a window."

Atsumu scanned the detail that was starting to emerge across the left half of the page, looking back and forth between the sketchbook and the window. "Amazing, it looks just like it. Like I could step through and be on the street."

Hinata gave him a small smile, set his sketchbook down on the tabletop, and stretched his arms in the air, settling into his seat. "Well, sketching is the easier part. It's when I start painting that things start to look weird." His mood seemed to darken, and he sighed and ruffled his hair with his hands, "Lighting and color just feel so hard. I just can't get it to look like how I want it to."

Atsumu patted Hinata's shoulder gently. "You artists are amazing. We learn about light and color in Computer Graphics too, you know, but we just cheat and use fancy machines to calculate all these math and physics equations for us." He gave Hinata an encouraging smile, "Artists learn and internalize all that, somehow, without all the calculations. I don't know how you all do it. I'm sure it takes time, but you'll get there."

Hinata perked up a bit at the encouragement, before protesting, "Math and physics are hard too though!"

Atsumu shrugged, "That's what the computer is for. I just tell it what to do." 

"So bossy." Hinata gave him a cheeky grin. He seemed to be feeling better again.

Atsumu looked up at the time and realized it was time to go to said Computer Graphics class. With reluctance, he closed the lid of his laptop and packed his things. "Well, I gotta get going, Shouyou-kun. Thanks for the help today."

"You too, Atsumu-san! See you next time!" Hinata flashed his signature grin at him.

"I expect more tea on Thursday," Atsumu winked at him and stood to leave. He slowly sipped the rest of his tea on his walk to lecture and chewed thoughtfully on his last pearls. He smiled to himself. He could really get used to this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so very much for all the love on the first chapter! I originally planned for this fic to be three chapters, but as I continue with my writing, it's looking like it may be longer. I'm bumping the chapter count to 4 for now, but we'll see if even more inspiration strikes in the meantime!
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter, where the ~feelings~ are starting to take a bit more form! :)
> 
> -Kyria, aka cheese_tea


	3. Chapter 3

Hinata hummed to himself as he entered the doors of Sakanoshi-Tea once again, his favorite part of his weekly routine. It had been a few weeks now since he'd ventured out to explore the campus and stumbled upon the cozy little tea shop. He loved everything about it — the perfectly brewed tea with soft pearls, the fragrance of basil that lingered in the air from all the Taiwanese popcorn chicken fried up for hungry students, and the soft murmur of friends catching up, accented by the tapping of fingers on laptop keys. The small space was filled with natural sun rays from the ceiling-high windows on all sides, and the artfully-placed greenery adorning the walls and potted on the tables gave Hinata a sense of serenity each time he entered. 

He'd brought his other friends here too, of course. It'd be a crime not to share this cafe's amazing tea with his roommate, Yamaguchi Tadashi, a fellow bubble tea enthusiast who readily agreed that the tea was among the best he's ever had. Together, they'd managed to drag along a history major named Tsukishima Kei who lived in the same dorm as them. Although Tsukishima grumbled the first few times he came along, Hinata was sure Tsukishima and Yamaguchi visited frequently, given how often the two of them were seen studying with cups of bubble tea back in their dorm common room.

Tuesdays and Thursdays, though, found Hinata alone, his course schedule not lining up well with his friends'. That first Tuesday he'd wandered around by himself, carting around a heavy book bag because he hadn't yet realized that textbooks were not needed for lecture, and still wearing his orientation lanyard with his room key around his neck. Feeling homesick and overwhelmed by the maze of buildings he navigated each day on his way to class, he'd somehow wandered a bit off of campus, not quite realizing where the university began and where it ended. That's how he found himself in front of Sakanoshi-Tea for the first time, hit all at once with memories of hanging out with his friends in high school after club activities, playing board games loudly in their local cafe and drinking cup after cup of sweet tea until they couldn't fall asleep at night.

He missed his old friends, naturally, but he was also here to make new friends. He'd strolled purposefully into the tea shop that day and managed just that. Hinata smiled as he remembered the complete fluke of a catch he'd made in front of Atsumu. If only making friends were that easy all the time.

Atsumu was Hinata's first friend not in his year, and Hinata felt he was very different from the stereotypes of engineers he'd heard. The only other computer engineering major Hinata knew was Kageyama Tobio, who lived down the hall from him and generally kept to himself. They were friendly, but Kageyama generally holed himself away in his room, programming in the dark, late into the night. Hinata had once reluctantly knocked on Kageyama's door in the wee hours of the morning while the rest of the dorm was fast asleep. Hinata had been stuck on a homework problem for the one math class he was taking to fulfill his graduation requirements, and he wasn't sure who else to turn to at the late hour. Surprisingly, Kageyama had answered, and the two of them wandered down into the empty common room. Kageyama had spent nearly an hour with Hinata, confidently explaining how to solve the question, pointing out where Hinata's misconceptions had steered him wrong, and chiding Hinata all the while for his terrible algebra. Hinata had tried to invite Kageyama out to get bubble tea a few times afterwards as thanks, but Kageyama had always refused to come along with him and the others to Sakanoshi-Tea, explaining that he had homework and algorithms competitions to do. What kinds of competitions centered around algorithms, Hinata had no idea.

Atsumu, on the other hand, cheerfully bantered with him during their overlapping time at the cafe, and they'd sip their teas together and share the popcorn chicken that Atsumu had started ordering extras of. They'd chat about their classes, their families, and the latest funny videos they saw on the internet, with Atsumu occasionally making jokes crass enough to turn Hinata's ears pink. There was no question Atsumu was good at programming, but even so, he would occasionally get moody and self-deprecating when he couldn't figure out why his code wasn't working — sometimes even when his code _was_ working, and he just didn't know why. Hinata took it in stride, used to boosting others' confidences and cherishing their bright smiles when he coaxed them out of their low points. In turn, Atsumu took a great interest in his art, heaping enthusiastic praise upon each piece, even when Hinata was busy pointing out all the parts he had messed up or wished he could re-do. 

Which brings us to today. Hinata let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding as he picked up his customary two teas from Yachi and walked to where Atsumu was sitting, Atsumu's bag holding the spot intended for him.

"Atsumu-san!" Hinata couldn't help but smile brightly at the sight of Atsumu taking out his earbuds and turning towards him. 

Atsumu's hand deftly maneuvered his bag to the floor. "Shouyou-kun! What'cha got there?"

"New drinks to try from Yachi-san! They're going to experiment with a new cheese tea series!"

Atsumu pulled a face, and Hinata had to hold in a laugh. 

"Shouyou-kun, you've managed to convince me to try pearls, but yer gonna have to try a hell of a lot harder before I'm gonna drink liquified _cheese_ in my tea."

"Have Yachi-san and I steered you wrong yet?" Hinata wagged a finger at him and took his seat. 

"There's a first time for everything."

Hinata flashed a smile before taking pity on Atsumu. "I know it sounds crazy. Don't think of it like blue cheese or anything, think of it like cheesecake."

"So why don't they name it cheesecake tea then? Someone needs to get a better marketing department," Atsumu grumbled.

Hinata shrugged. "So you'll try it?"

"Yeah, yeah," Atsumu waved his hand around in the air. "Like you would let me get away without trying it." 

Atsumu picked up his straw and the cup, which had a special lid rather than its usual heat-sealed plastic top. He looked to Hinata with a bewildered expression on his face.

He looked like a lost puppy. Hinata giggled to himself before picking up his own cup to demonstrate. He put his mouth on the small opening and tilted the cup high, past the horizontal, drinking in the mixture of thick, sweet cheesy cream and bitter green tea. "Mmm!" He declared — definitely worth putting on the menu — before he set the cup down. While licking off the cream that remained on his lips, he took his straw and poked it through a small round punch hole on the opposite side of the lid from the first opening.

Atsumu was mimicking him now, but he was only succeeding in drinking the cheese topping. 

"You'll need to tip the cup higher," Hinata prompted, and Atsumu did so, taking several gulps of the tea this time. 

Then he put the cup back down, smacked his lips and stared down at the drink. "Ok, this stuff tastes way better than it sounds."

"Yup! For the full experience, you can alternate between the straw to get the pearls and drinking from the cup for the cheese." Hinata was excited that Atsumu had enjoyed it too. He waved to Yachi-san at the counter, who was watching them for their reactions.

"It's great, Yachi-san! You should definitely put this on the menu," he called to her.

Yachi gave him a thumbs up and a wink before going back to preparing orders.

Hinata turned back to Atsumu, who was now fiddling with the straw in his cup, aiming at more of the pearls at the bottom.

"Atsumu-san?"

"Hmm?" Atsumu looked back at him while slurping more tea and pearls up through the straw.

"I, uh, have a favor to ask you." Hinata tapped his index fingers together nervously.

"Sure, Shouyou-kun, whaddya need? Just uh, don't ask me for tech support, you would be better off just searching the internet for the answer." Atsumu rubbed his neck with his hand sheepishly. 

Hinata shook his head, "No, nothing tech related. I was wondering if... if you wouldn't mind modeling for me?"

Atsumu tensed up a bit, and Hinata fidgeted in his seat. 

"Er, you mean art modeling? Not computer modeling, right?" Atsumu asked him haltingly.

"Right, yeah, art modeling. We were asked to make a portrait of someone for our midterm assignment." Someone we cared about.

Atsumu blushed a deep red and looked away from him. Hinata waited with bated breath. After a pause, Atsumu stuttered out, "Well, um, sure, I can, I guess. Just... we can do it privately, right?"

Hinata scratched his head, pleased with the agreement but not sure what Atsumu meant with the rest of his response. "Privately? I was just going to take a few photos here and use one as reference for a painting." 

Atsumu's eyes widened before he hid his still-crimson face in his hands, "Oh my god, you meant... I thought..."

Hinata's mind blanked for a moment as he struggled to process the reaction. Privately...? Oh. Oh God. 

"OH GOD, NO, Atsumu-san, that's... that's definitely not what I meant." It was Hinata's turn to go scarlet. He lowered his voice, just barely managing to croak out, "Clothed modeling, Atsumu-san, of course I meant clothed." Hinata's ears were burning, and his heart felt like it was going to pound out of his chest.

The two of them stared at each other for nearly a minute, both of their faces beet red and mostly hidden behind their hands.

"R-right." Atsumu seemed to collect himself. He coughed into his fist and took a sip of tea for good measure. "Of course." He gave Hinata a small, lopsided grin. "God, Shouyou-kun, you looked so nervous I wasn't expecting something so tame."

Hinata was not as quick to recover from the misunderstanding. "Sorry, I uh..." he squeaked out, burying his face in his sleeves. 

Atsumu let out a quiet chuckle, reached over, and ruffled Hinata's hair. "Shouyou-kun, it's ok, really." Hinata was still doing his best imitation of a frightened ostrich. Dear God, please kill me now.

“If you really want me to get naked, we can always go back to my place after you finish drawing.”

Hinata whipped his head up, jaw falling to the floor. 

Atsumu's eyebrow was raised, a cocky grin on full display. His hooded eyes were half shut, dark brown eyes observing Hinata through his lashes. Atsumu held the pose for one beat before bursting into laughter. 

"Shouyou-kun, the look on yer face." 

That broke the tension. Hinata smiled weakly and gave Atsumu a light punch to the arm. "Don't say things like that, dummy!" Then Hinata put on his own cheeky grin. "Be careful what you offer, I might take you up on it."

Atsumu's eyes widened just slightly before he ran his fingers through his bleached hair and smirked at Hinata. "I've corrupted innocent little Shouyou-kun. I don't know whether to be proud or ashamed of myself."

Hinata put his hands on his hips and mock-scowled. "We're both in university, I'm not _that_ innocent."

"Sure, Shouyou-kun, whatever you say." Atsumu pinched Hinata's cheek fondly. "Alright, enough joking, what do you need me to do for the portrait?"

Hinata's cheek was still tingling from the feeling of Atsumu's fingers. He absently rubbed his face as he forced himself to re-focus on his assignment, giving Atsumu directions while he extracted his camera from his bag.

Atsumu patiently posed for him working on his laptop, then facing him, then looking thoughtfully out the window, Hinata snapping away on his camera. They probably looked so strange to everyone else in the cafe, Hinata thought. 

"Thanks Atsumu-san!" Hinata chirped when he was satisfied with the quantity of reference material. Then he held out his phone to Atsumu. "Could I also get your number? I'll send you copies of the photos and the portrait when I'm done."

Atsumu's face lit up. "Yeah, I can't believe we haven't traded numbers yet," he remarked as he obliged, animatedly tapping his name and number in. "You gonna start sketching now?"

Hinata nodded. "Yeah, there's not much time left until it's due."

"I'll let you get to it then." Atsumu winked at him and turned back to his computer, tapping the keys impatiently as he woke the laptop up from its sleep. He quickly lost himself in his work again, absently sipping the rest of his cheese tea. 

Hinata flipped through the various photos of Atsumu and lingered on a shot of him resting his head on his hand and looking upwards towards the sky. The lighting from the window had given him an almost ethereal look, golden rays highlighting his cheekbones and jawline and making his eyes sparkle. He was smiling gently in the photo, softer than his usual teasing grins, and Hinata felt his stomach flutter. Miya Atsumu was absolutely _gorgeous_.

Hinata gulped as he set his camera down and pulled out his sketchbook and pencils. He stole a quick glance at Atsumu, who was reading through the code on his screen and muttering to himself, likely trying to figure out where it was going wrong. Hinata took a deep breath and held it for a few seconds, then exhaled slowly, trying to center himself again. He started to sketch, laying down the outlines of the pose with deft fingers despite the tight feeling in his chest. Each stroke of his pencil reminded Hinata of their earlier exchange. Hinata blushed at the memory.

Atsumu's voice startled him out of his thoughts. "Shouyou-kun! That's amazing, how'd you do that so fast?"

Hinata could only protest weakly at the statement before Atsumu interrupted him. "I wanna try too!" He looked at Hinata with puppy eyes. "Can I try?" Hinata laughed fondly at his eagerness. _So cute._

Hinata turned to a fresh page in his sketchbook and pushed it towards Atsumu along with his pencil, then set his camera with the reference photo between the two of them. Atsumu gripped the pencil, squinted his eyes at the photo, and then scribbled a messy, misshapen oval on the page. Hinata watched him, fighting down the urge to laugh at Atsumu's tongue poking out of his mouth as he fought with the pencil to produce something vaguely resembling his face.

"Fuck this is hard," Atsumu paused his work, tapping the pencil against his mouth and mussing his hair with his other hand. "Why does it look so weird?" Atsumu whined. 

Hinata couldn't stop his giggle this time. "It's really not so bad, Atsumu-san! Here..."

Hinata grasped Atsumu's hand with his own and guided both his hand and pencil, correcting his linework. "Your jaw is angled more like this, and your nose should be a bit higher." Hinata looked back and forth from Atsumu's drawing and the photo. "Eyes are actually about halfway down the head, so if you move the eyes a little lower..." He scratched more lines onto the page with Atsumu's hand. "And your lips—" Hinata sucked in his breath harshly, suddenly aware that he was holding Atsumu's hand and thinking about his lips. Atsumu was looking at their hands too, his real lips forming a small "o" as he stared downwards. Hinata didn't remember when their faces had gotten so close.

"Shouyou-kun." His name was whispered softly, sweetly, and Hinata could feel his pulse quicken, his stomach tying itself into knots. Atsumu was looking at him now, his chocolate eyes smouldering. He was leaning closer and closer, and Hinata could only look back at him, eyes wide, too shocked to move. 

Atsumu stopped. His eyes flitted over Hinata's face, and his expression morphed to one of concern.

Atsumu sat back again, still watching Hinata carefully, and Hinata let out a shaky breath. Their hands were still touching, Hinata realized, and right then Atsumu set down the pencil he was still holding and flipped his hand under Hinata's, gracefully intertwining their fingers. Atsumu's mouth tugged into a gentle smile, and he raised his eyebrows ever so slightly, a silent question. _Is this ok?_

It was ok. It was more than ok. Hinata's mind couldn't find the words; his mouth couldn't form the sounds. He squeezed Atsumu's hand, ran his thumb along its side, hoping the motion would communicate everything Hinata wanted to say but couldn't.

Hinata bit his lip. His whole body felt like it was on fire, and he was sure his face reflected it. Atsumu just continued looking at him, beaming at him, and they held a silent conversation with their fingers, exploring the weight and feel of the other's hand in theirs.

Hinata wasn't sure how long they sat there, mesmerized by each other. It felt like both an eternity and a blink of an eye. Atsumu looked away first, startled by a vibration from his phone. When his eyes flitted down, he let out a barely audible curse.

"Shouyou-kun," he said softly, "I... I have to go. I have a midterm today." He looked sad, regretful.

Hinata nodded, squeezing Atsumu's hand once more before slowly untangling his hand and placing it on his lap.

"Text me so I have your number, ok? Promise?" Atsumu said, his eyes pleading.

Atsumu was being so careful with him, but to Hinata, Atsumu was the one who looked fragile in this moment.

"I will, Atsumu-san, I promise." Hinata smiled and held Atsumu's gaze as he said it, so he would know he meant it. 

Atsumu quietly packed his things, and as he stood to leave he turned again to Hinata.

"I —" Atsumu hesitated and tried again, "See you next time, Shouyou-kun." He was fidgeting with his bag nervously and fussing with his hair again.

Hinata felt his heart melt at the sight. "Mm, good luck on the midterm, Atsumu-san!" Hinata put on his best reassuring grin.

"Thanks," Atsumu returned his smile and left with his familiar wave.

Hinata watched Atsumu's tall figure exit the shop and continued staring at the door for a long while afterwards, his mind replaying what had happened over and over. He was pretty sure a dopey grin had taken up permanent residence on his face, but he stopped caring many minutes ago.

He was finally jostled from his thoughts when another student dropped into the seat next to him. Remembering his promise, Hinata pulled out his phone to text Atsumu, fretting for a few moments on what his first message should be.

"It's me!" He typed, adding a bubble tea emoji.

The reply was instant — a solitary "yum" emoji, tongue poking out, grinned back at him on the phone screen.

Hinata turned back to his sketchbook, lightly tracing the lines they had made together with his finger. Then he picked up the pencil and signed "Atsumu & Shouyou" in the corner of the page.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woohoo, longer chapter for the longer wait! Thank you all so, so much for the lovely comments and kudos! They really help keep the motivation going when I'm tussling with the best way to word an interaction. I had a ton of fun writing this chapter, and I hope you enjoyed reading it too!
> 
> I did start a new Twitter account recently; feel free to follow me there if you'd like to interact! I'd love to hear from you! [@KyriaTea](https://twitter.com/KyriaTea)
> 
> And yes, my secret agenda for writing this fic was to convince everyone to try the magic that is cheese tea. ;)
> 
> <3s,  
> Kyria
> 
> Edit: Mea ([@meassxya](https://twitter.com/meassxya)) drew this [beautiful, precious art](https://twitter.com/meassxya/status/1303353325295812609) of the drawing scene between Atsumu and Hinata. Thank you so much Mea!!! I'm so honored!!
> 
> Edit 2: I drew the view from Hinata's camera from this chapter too. :) [Link](https://twitter.com/KyriaTea/status/1308283705320812545)


	4. Chapter 4

It was late at night, and yet Atsumu was awake in bed, staring up at the dark ceiling. His roommate had started snoring long ago, but all Atsumu could think about was Hinata. 

It was rare that Atsumu felt so comfortable around someone else. Growing up with a twin meant it was hard for another person to match the level of familiarity he already had with his ready-made, lifelong friend and brother. The two of them had been a pair all the way through high school, but once they went their separate ways for university, Atsumu realized that he had no idea how to form deep, meaningful friendships.

His first year was spent tagging along with his roommate, Suna Rintarou, to various hangouts with various people, but ultimately, the friends were Suna's, not Atsumu's. Then the workload picked up in his classes, and eventually he stopped socializing with people outside of his major entirely, finding it tiresome to have to explain why he spent so much time doing homework or why he couldn't head to a party that weekend. He spent most of his days at Sakanoshi-Tea alone, working, finding the atmosphere helpful for keeping him focused. Plus the allure of popcorn chicken was just too good to pass up.

He was fully prepared to spend the rest of his university days repeating this routine, hoping for better days once he was out in the workforce and didn't spend all of his waking hours thinking about the next assignment that was due. Maybe he'd even have real weekends again, free from the shackles of projects and homework.

Then, Hinata Shouyou tapped on his shoulder, kicked a cup of bubble tea, and gave Atsumu something to look forward to each week. At first, he was just an interesting person, whose passion for art reminded him of Osamu's passion for food. He soon found himself cherishing Hinata's precious optimism, his spirit, his humor.

Atsumu flexed his hand, remembering the feeling of Hinata's warm fingers. Absently, he closed his eyes and brought his hand to his mouth and kissed the palm. Then he smacked himself in the forehead and dragged his hand down his face.

* * *

Hinata found himself walking towards Sakanoshi-Tea the next day, right after his morning lecture. He'd ducked out of his usual lunch with Yamaguchi and Tsukishima, with excuses that made his friends ask after him with concern. His mind was still flooded with images of Atsumu—and not just because he had flipped through all the photos on his camera multiple times.

Opening the cafe door and hearing the familiar jingle of the bell wasn't enough to snap him out of his thoughts, but bumping into a familiar-sized back immediately afterwards sure did.

"Atsumu-san?" Hinata blinked upwards, not sure if he was just imagining him.

"Shouyou-kun?" Atsumu turned around, the look on his face mirroring how Hinata felt.

"Don't you have class now?"

"It was another midterm, and I finished early," Atsumu explained. "Although, I may have bullshitted my way through a few of the questions." Atsumu grinned sheepishly and ran his hand through his hair. "Do you normally come here at this time?"

Hinata shook his head. "No," he admitted, "but I'm glad I did today." He smiled back at Atsumu, who blushed a little under his gaze.

"Let's get lunch then!" Atsumu clapped his hands together before sweeping Hinata towards the register.

They stepped up to the counter together, and Yachi emerged from the back to take their order.

"Oh! Hinata, Miya-san! This is unusual." Yachi looked between the both of them. Hinata flushed, not sure how to respond to such a comment, and Yachi gave him a knowing grin. "So, what can I get you today?"

They placed their orders for lunch rice plates, with Taiwanese sausage for Hinata and popcorn chicken for Atsumu.

"Really, Atsumu-san, you're just getting more popcorn chicken?"

"What can I say, Shouyou-kun, I know what I like."

Hinata started to reach into his bag for his wallet, but Atsumu's hand closed around his wrist, sending a jolt up Hinata's arm.

"Let me, Shouyou-kun." 

"Atsumu-san, at least let me split—"

"Nope!" Atsumu handed over some bills with his free hand, and Yachi took them with a sympathetic glance at Hinata.

"I'll bring it out to you when it's ready!" Yachi called with a wave as she headed back into the kitchen to assist with the order prep.

The shop was nearly empty, a consequence of the early hour, but they still walked to their usual seats by the side window. 

"How was your midterm yesterday, Atsumu-san?" Hinata asked. He wiggled in his seat and tapped his fingers on the table in front of him.

Atsumu gave him a shrug and a crooked grin. "Probably didn't go so well. Shoulda just stayed with you, Shouyou-kun." 

"Atsumu-san, you shouldn't skip class," Hinata scolded while his stomach did a flip. "Especially not when you have an exam!"

"Such a responsible student, Shouyou-kun," Atsumu chuckled and reached out to ruffle his hair. Hinata closed his eyes at the touch, leaning into it. Atsumu yawned as he snuck a gentle head scratch in, and Hinata gave a quiet hum before breaking into his own yawn.

Yachi approached them a few moments later with their rice plates, gingerly setting the still-steaming dishes down in front of them. "Thanks Yachi-san!" Hinata beamed at her gratefully, his mouth already watering.

Atsumu called his thanks to Yachi's retreating back and immediately dug into his own rice plate, making satisfied noises as he chewed. Hinata watched him for a moment before following suit.

The Taiwanese sausage was piping hot and deliciously juicy, bursting in Hinata's mouth as he bit down. He should have gotten lunch here earlier. Hinata motioned to Atsumu, pointing at his plate with his chopsticks. "Atsumu-san, do you want to try my sausage?" 

Atsumu choked down the chicken he was chewing, and Hinata tilted his head at Atsumu's reaction. Maybe he was pretty innocent after all, he thought, as he finally registered the implication of his words. He flushed deeply again. 

Atsumu gave him an amused grin. "Shouyou-kun, I would never pass up a chance to _try your sausage_ ," emphasizing the last few words with a mischievous glint in his eyes. 

Hinata's traitorous mind flickered to dirty thoughts, and Hinata fought his instinctual reaction to hide away in his sleeves again. Instead, Hinata grasped his chopsticks, picked up a piece of sausage, and held it up to Atsumu's mouth. 

Atsumu's eyebrows shot up, but he kept his eyes on Hinata as he opened his mouth and bit the sausage from Hinata's chopsticks, chewing slowly as his cheeks reddened.

Hinata used a hand to muffle his laughter, and Atsumu gave him a wounded look. "What's so funny?"

"Atsumu-san, I don't know how you say such things with a straight face, and then you blush when I feed you food."

"Calling me out, Shouyou-kun." Atsumu gave him a roguish grin and also picked up some chicken with his chopsticks to hold out for Hinata.

Hinata blinked at the action before delicately biting the chicken. His face was probably permanently some shade of pink at this point, though Atsumu didn't tease him in kind.

They finished the rest of their food slowly, savoring both the rich meal and the light conversation between them, their usual banter. When the last bite was finished, Hinata couldn't help but feel a bit sad. Now they would either go their separate ways, or maybe, if he were lucky, they could fall into old habits and work next to each other.

It seemed to be the former, since Atsumu was standing up from his seat now, holding his empty dish. Hinata made to do the same, but Atsumu rested a hand on his shoulder.

"I can get yours too. I need to use the restroom anyway."

Hinata tried his best to give Atsumu an appreciative smile as Atsumu balanced Hinata's dish on top of his own and walked away. Hinata put his head down on the now empty table in front of him and sighed. Should he ask Atsumu to stay around? To stay with him? Hinata felt a prickle of heat across his cheeks.

Hinata heard a familiar tap of a plastic cup on the table, and he shook himself out of his thoughts. Atsumu was peering down at him, looking rather pleased with himself. 

"You seemed sleepy, Shouyou-kun, so I got us some caffeine." 

Hinata's mouth opened wide as he looked at the cup. The cup was filled to the brim with milk, and the bottom was settled with soft pearls. The inside of the cup was ornately drizzled with a thick caramel sauce that created delicate swirls where it mixed with the milk, painting the cream like a canvas. 

"This is—"

"Brown sugar milk," Atsumu finished proudly. "Yachi-san mentioned they were thinking of putting it on the menu in a few weeks."

Hinata beamed at him and popped his straw through the lid. "Thanks Atsumu-san!" Then he gave him a cheeky smile. "Though you know, there's no actual tea in this."

Atsumu squinted at him. "You're kidding."

Hinata giggled and then took a sip. "It's yummy, that's all that matters."

Atsumu scrunched his nose as he stabbed his straw through the lid of his own cup, before taking a large slurp. "Good God, that is sweet," he declared, poking his tongue out of his mouth, which caused Hinata to giggle again. "It's nice though," he concluded, chewing on some pearls. 

They settled back into their seats and sipped their tea quietly, each lost in their own thoughts. Hinata chewed his lip, and his whole body was tense as he endlessly turned his cup with his hand. Hinata snuck a glance at Atsumu and before he consciously realized, his hand was reaching towards Atsumu's arm, touching it gently. Atsumu gave a tiny start and turned to him with a warm smile. He wordlessly lifted his hand from his lap, and Hinata traced his fingers down Atsumu's arm before settling them into his hand, lacing their fingers together. Hinata let out a breath.

"Atsumu-san?" He whispered.

Atsumu's reply was gentle, matching his volume. "What is it, Shouyou-kun?"

"Do... do you still have no time to date?"

Atsumu's eyebrows popped up before his expression softened, and he glanced at their still intertwined hands. With a smile tugging on the corner of his mouth, Atsumu pulled their hands up towards his face, until Hinata could feel Atsumu's breath. Atsumu paused just a moment, his eyes fluttering shut, and then he pressed his warm lips to the back of Hinata's hand. Hinata's heart skipped a beat. 

"I'll always have time, if it's you, Shouyou-kun." 

Hinata swallowed hard, and his whole body tingled.

Then Atsumu tilted his head and raised an eyebrow at him in a teasing gesture, though his voice quavered. "Am I still just a friend to you, Shouyou-kun?" He asked, running his thumb along the side of Hinata's hand.

Hinata reached up and tenderly cupped the side of Atsumu's face, brushing his fingers against Atsumu's cheek. "You are my friend, Atsumu-san," Hinata breathed, his eyes half-lidded as he met Atsumu's gaze. "But I want to be more than just friends." Hinata closed his eyes and brought his lips to Atsumu's in a gentle kiss.

Atsumu's lips were soft, just as soft as he imagined them to be when he'd only been sketching them, and they tasted of sugar and milk. He could feel Atsumu smile and then he was being kissed back, passionately. Hinata's heart was thumping out of his chest, and he forgot how to breathe. 

When they finally broke apart, Hinata could feel the rest of the cafe's eyes on them. He was surely blushing, and he looked up at Atsumu, whose eyes twinkled as he pulled Hinata towards him again.

"You know..." Atsumu leaned down close to his ear. "That offer for modeling still stands."

* * *

#### 

Epilogue

* * *

"Shouyou, hurry up!" Atsumu called into their bedroom.

"Alright, alright, hang on a sec, 'Tsumu. Why are we dressing up so much anyways? Isn't this just a reunion?"

"It's not _just_ a reunion, Shouyou, it's your 5th year reunion. Don't you wanna look nice?"

Hinata Shouyou, _his_ Hinata Shouyou, stepped out from the bedroom, wearing a white dress shirt and a dark navy vest. He was busy fiddling with the final button on his matching navy trousers, muttering under his breath.

"Shouyou, if you can't get your pants on, I'm going to make you go without them," Atsumu smirked at him.

"I bet you'd like that, wouldn't you." Hinata teased back, turning around to wiggle his butt at him.

"Mm, careful, I might rip them off you if you keep doing that." Atsumu stepped closer and pulled the shorter man in for a kiss. "You look great."

Hinata beamed at him. "You're pretty handsome yourself." Hinata reached out for Atsumu's hand, tangling their fingers and looking at him up and down before holding his gaze. "I love you, 'Tsumu."

"I love you too, Shouyou," Atsumu replied, heart melting. 

"Now, can you explain to me why we're going to my reunion like this? You're rarely so eager to dress up." Hinata poked Atsumu in the chest.

Atsumu was wearing a similar vest and trouser combo, only in dark grey. He propped his free hand on his hip, as if posing for a photoshoot. "Reunions are all about dressing to impress, Shouyou!"

"'Tsumu, last year we attended your reunion in jeans and t-shirts."

"That's how other software engineers know you've made it! You dress like shit."

"Oh, and so artists are impressed by fancy clothes instead?"

"Yeah, plus who could resist you like this?"

Hinata sighed, realizing he wasn't going to get any more explanation out of Atsumu. "So, are we stopping by Sakanoshi-Tea first before meeting up with the others?" 

"You know it." Atsumu winked at him, grinning from ear to ear.

Then Atsumu took advantage of their still-intertwined fingers to drag Hinata to the door. "Now hurry up, I want to spend as much time as possible making out with you at Sakanoshi-Tea." His bluntness earned him an adorable giggle from Hinata.

They had pulled on their shoes and stepped out of their apartment when Atsumu paused at the door.

"Ah, hang on Shouyou, I think I forgot to turn off the bathroom light."

Hinata rolled his eyes before giving him a crooked grin. "Now who's making us wait?"

Atsumu leaned down to kiss the smirk off Hinata's face. "Go on to the car, I'll be right behind you."

As Hinata headed to the elevator, Atsumu slipped back into their apartment. He walked briskly through their living room, where a portrait of each of them hung on the wall, much to Hinata's chagrin. ("We can't hang our own portraits on the wall, 'Tsumu, that's so narcissistic!" "Nonsense, Shouyou, of course we're going to hang your beautiful art on the walls. It's our apartment, we can do whatever we want!")

Instead of the bathroom, however, he walked into their bedroom, stepping over the clothes he had just made Hinata hurriedly change out of. He approached their rather disorganized bookshelf and reached to the very top, behind a small frame. He chuckled as his eyes landed on the disproportionate drawing of his face, gentle pencil corrections placed atop messy scrawling. With butterflies in his stomach and his heart thumping, he pulled out a small velvet box and carefully slipped it into his pocket.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're here at the end! I hope you enjoyed this final chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! Thank you all so much again for the beautiful comments and the kudos (and the art!!). I have felt so loved and supported in this journey back to writing. I hope to keep contributing more fics to the AtsuHina tag on AO3. :)
> 
> If you'd like to follow along as I plan out and write future fics, you can find me on Twitter, [@KyriaTea](https://twitter.com/KyriaTea). I'd love to hear from you!
> 
> Much love and bubble tea to you all <3  
> -Kyria


End file.
